As a Public Relations major building my brand has been something I have been told to work on from the beginning. Some majors are not as lucky to have professors who stress the importance of a strong personal brand. Your personal brand will outlast your current employer or stage of life. Your personal brand can present you with opportunities and show your strengths. You may be asking yourself right now what I am even talking about? Don’t worry, I’m here to walk you through it.
What does it mean to build your personal brand?
Having a personal brand identity allows a professional to show the world what they are about as an individual. To me, building my personal brand means setting myself up for success. I get to choose how what I do, post and say affect other people’s views on me. Your brand is everything that makes you who you are. You just have to discover what that is.
Why is it even important?
Knowing and displaying your personal brand is incredibly important. Especially at this stage in life. If you have a strong personal brand, employers will know who you are and what exactly you are looking for. Having a personal brand is extremely beneficial during job interviews. Your brand is what makes you stand out from the countless other applicants.
Where to start?
I believe finding out your passion is the best way to start building your brand. After that, translate that passion into other aspects of your life. Ask yourself. What do you care about? What is important to you? What are your values? These questions are a great way to start finding out who you are and what you want your brand to be. Remember you are the one in control. After you find your brand, live it.
Your brand and social media.
With social media ruling today’s society it’s one of the largest platforms for displaying your personal brand. Update your profiles, stay consistent across all platforms and watch what you are posting and who you are following. What you post on social media reflects your brand; especially to future employers who may be lurking.
Start NOW.
Start building your brand now! You can never start too early on building your personal brand. You don’t want to enter the professional world not knowing what your brand is. Your brand can change and grow with you, but starting now will give you a place to begin.
Find your statement.
Dr. Marcie Hinton said it best when she said that you need to find your statement. What is your elevator pitch? How would you sell yourself in less than a minute? For me, my statement is, “created to create.” It is a simple statement, but it tells a lot about who I am without saying very much. Elaborating on that statement with a future employer can give you an advantage over other interviewees. Finding your statement can seem a little daunting, but it is just a statement about you and what you are passionate about.
The most important thing to remember while building your personal brand is to remember that is doesn’t happen overnight. Building your brand takes a lot of work and self-reflection. Don’t give up on your personal brand. It shows the world who you are.
**All gifs courtesy of giphy,com**